Feb 28 Calm Before The Storm

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg arrive in Bosnia to inspect army maneuvers outside Sarajevo. With European political conflict fomenting and Austro-Serbian tensions running high, the visit is not without risk. Serbian nationalist organizations know about the arranged visit and have orchestrated the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.

Several revolutionary members lie in wait along the the pre-announced motorcade route, but the plot seems to be foiled as some members do not act, while another hurls a bomb at the 1911 Gräf & Stift the couple ride in but it bounces off, exploding near the following car and wounding several people.

One of the conspirators, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip, realizes the opportunity to act is most likely over, as the Archduke's return route was never guaranteed. Dejectedly, he crosses the street and walks into Moritz Schiller's food store for a sandwich. Emerging from the delicatessen, Princip realizes destiny is sitting less than 6 feet away from him, as the Archduke's car is stopped directly in front of the store. Princip pulls out his Browning automatic pistol and fires twice, igniting the powder keg that would change the course of world history.

Fun Fact: the Archduke's car found itself stopped in front of Princip due to a communication error. Ferdinand changed plans and decided to visit those who had been injured earlier by the bomb, and in the confusion the driver wasn't made aware. He went down the wrong street and the vehicle halted while turning around.

Fun Fact 2: Sophie normally wouldn't have been in the same car as Ferdinand as she was not of royal blood; in fact she was forbidden to do so back in Vienna. Unfortunately for her, such restrictions of nobility didn't apply in provincial cities like Sarajevo.